


Portal 2 Reader Insert Collection (Gender Neutral)

by L_Renee



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Multi, Reader-Insert, Romance, Shipping, These are fast burns, These are the opposite of slow burns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Renee/pseuds/L_Renee
Summary: Gender neutral collection of short reader-insert stories featuring the Portal 2 cores (in android forms). Space core's story is platonic/G-rated. Featuring a cliche love song for every character in the notes.**NO REQUESTS, PLEASE! All characters will be added soon!**
Relationships: Adventure Core/Reader, Fact Core/Reader, GLaDOS/Reader, Space Core/Reader (Platonic), Wheatley (Portal)/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. An Action Hero in Shining Armor (Rick/Adventure)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick takes care of you after you're injured on an adventure.

### 

An Action Hero in Shining Armor (Rick/Adventure)

Your muscles tense in quiet anticipation. 

You stifle a mischievous giggle--in your life outside the facility, you never would have done anything like this. It seemed a little, well...dangerous. It’s definitely violating some safety regulations, but after a month in long-term relaxation, you’re dying for some genuine fun. 

“Turret redemption lines are not rides. Please exit the turret redemption line.” You ignore the automated voice and lock eyes with the android on the other side of the conveyer belt. Those piercing, inhuman green eyes...he extends a hand to you, and a cocky grin tugs at his lips.

“Remember, all ya gotta do is jump!” he calls out in his southern drawl. You met him only this morning, on your way back from testing--but he was a hell of a charmer. In a facility where you rarely interacted with your fellow humans, it was all too easy to fall for his sweet talk. A date, he’d said. Somewhere exciting. 

Your heart pounds in your chest. He certainly lives up to his word. You nod, and wait with bated breath for your moment to leap to safety. 

Almost…

You take a tentative step backwards, in preparation to spring forward--and that’s when you feel it. A tug on your pant leg. You look down and try to shake your leg loose, but your jumpsuit is caught on a piece of heavy scrap metal. 

“What’re ya waitin’ for?” Rick asks. You glance back at him, panic in your eyes as you begin to slide past him.

“I-I’m stuck on something!” you shout, pulling desperately at your pant leg. You kneel and try to work it free with trembling fingers, but it’s not use. You’ve missed your chance to jump. Looking to your left, you see the incinerator slowly approach, its gaping maw hot and smoking and emitting a burning smell.

“Aw, shoot!” Rick says, and he curses under his breath. “Hold on now (y/n), I’ll save ya!” 

He disappears from view, and in the meantime you try to lift the scrap metal. Though you strain, it’s too much for you to move. Your breathing grows heavy and frantic. It’s getting harder to breathe with the air so hot around you.

“R-Rick?” you call in a strained, high-pitched voice. Your throat feels dry. “Rick! Help!” 

The incinerator looms closer--you’re just seconds away from certain death, and the heat threatens to burn your exposed skin. You squeeze your eyes shut and scream. 

“I’ve gotcha!” 

With a flying leap, Rick lands hard on the conveyer just in front of you, shielding you from the rising temperature. You open your eyes to see him stoop and, in one swift motion, tear the scrap metal away from your leg--ripping a chunk of fabric along with it--and toss it into the mouth of the incinerator. He scoops you into his arms and makes a wild leap back to safety. 

You watch the debris surrounding the spot you were just standing tumble into the inferno with a faint crash. 

“You're safe now, darlin’! That was one darin’ rescue, if I do say so myself,” Rick boasts. You feel your face grow warm. You hadn’t realized androids were so strong, though you suppose that made sense.

“Thanks,” you say quietly. 

“No need to thank me.” Rick grins. He gently sets you down, but when you put weight on your leg, you wince. “Shoot, you're bleedin’,” Rick says. “Oh man, GLaDOS is gonna kill me--it’s fine. I’ll fix ya up myself. Rick’ll take care of this,” he continues. Before you can say another word, Rick effortlessly hauls you into his arms once more. You huddle against his chest as he traverses the catwalks--even though he was the one that got you into this mess...technically...you can’t help but feel safe with him. Perhaps that’s why you followed him here in the first place. 

“Here ya go,” Rick sets you down on a desk in an abandoned office, once used by human employees to monitor turret production. He shuffles through the desk drawers. “See, when us bots get hurt, we just go in for repairs...but you're human, so…” 

Rick’s sentence trails off, and he pulls an old first aid kit from the bottom drawer. 

“Don’t worry, I saw this in a movie once. Let’s take a look,” he says, setting the kit aside to inspect your wound. 

“You watch movies? Like, human movies?” you ask, biting your lip as he pokes painfully at your calf. You’re amused by the concept. 

“You’d be surprised what the humans’ll leave ‘round this place. I’m fond of gunslingin’ adventures myself. My favorite is the one about the treasure hunters in the desert, and they wake up this mummy...it’s uh, actually why I picked the name I did. Don’t tell anyone that, okay?” Rick eyes you suspiciously. 

“I won’t,” you smile. “It’s a good name. It suits you.” 

“Sure does,” Rick agrees. “So, uh…” He awkwardly holds a pad of gauze up to your wound, contemplating how he’s going to approach wrapping your leg. Suddenly putting it down, he rummages through the first aid kit. “Right, I gotta clean it first. Otherwise deadly, flesh-eatin’ bacteria’ll take hold. Don’t wanna lose your leg.” 

Rick smirks, and you can’t tell if he’s joking or not. He rips open a packet with his teeth--unnecessary, you think, but somehow endearing--and pulls out the alcohol wipe inside. You utter a small, pained sound when the chemical touches your wound, and Rick instinctively pulls away. 

“That hurt?” 

“A little.” 

“Hey, it’s nothin’, right? You're tough. You're strong. Brave as hell. You can take a little pain. This tiny thing’s got nothin’ on ya!” Rick encourages, giving your arm a playful nudge. You nod, and clench your fists to distract yourself from the sting of the alcohol while he finishes sterilizing the cut. He reaches for the gauze again.

“M’ sorry,” Rick says, breaking the silence in the room. You look at him, and he avoids your gaze. “It’s my fault ya got hurt. I shoulda been more careful...I can’t help it, y’know? This place gets so damn borin’,” he continues, and shakes his head. “Nah, that ain’t an excuse. Not for puttin’ ya in danger like that...even if it meant I got to play the hero in the end...shouldn’t have had to.” 

“No...I mean, I agreed to this,” you protest. “You’ve probably done this dozens of times without incident. You couldn’t have predicted…” 

Rick shrugs as he places the pad carefully over the wound. 

“I dunno. Everyone’s always tellin’ me to be more responsible...and we can’t put ya back together like we could a bot, after all. If somethin’ happened--” 

“But it didn’t,” you say. “You saved my life.” 

“Sure, after I risked it for a cheap thrill,” Rick counters. He begins to clumsily wrap your leg with a gauze roll. He’s not medically skilled--perhaps he lacks the programming--but his fingers are gentle as they brush across your skin. For a robot, he’s remarkably...human. You can’t shake the feeling. 

“Do you want me to say I’m mad? Is that it?” you say with a soft chuckle. 

“I wouldn’t blame ya.” 

Rick ties the bandage in a knot. It’s a little on the tight side, but it’s bearable. He admires his handiwork with a lopsided smile.

“Suppose that’ll do,” he says, and stands to help you off the desk. It still hurts a bit, but you can walk without bleeding everywhere. Rick holds you steady. You can’t help but notice you’re standing very, very close--mere inches from his face. “Are ya good?” he asks. 

You lock eyes. Your heart starts to race and you swallow nervously, your throat still dry. 

“You know...there’s one more thing missing from this adventure. After the hero rescues the person in distress…they always...” you say coyly. Rick’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink--you didn’t realize androids could blush. Before you can lean closer, Rick wraps an arm around your waist and dips you in a sudden, dramatic move. He leans over you and meets your flustered gaze. 

“I like your style,” he says, and presses his lips firmly to yours in a kiss fit for an action movie. They’re softer and warmer than you expected. You’re pleasantly surprised, and for a moment you just exist, exactly like that. The hero’s triumphant partner. 

“Do you think you’ll get in trouble for this?” you ask when he pulls away. Rick grins. 

“She’ll have to catch me first. But even if I were incinerated tomorrow, it’d all be worth it.” 

“And...assuming you’re not, maybe we could…?” you ask.

“...do this again?” Rick cuts in. 

You smile.

“Maybe we should just watch a movie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rick's song: "Angel With A Shotgun": https://youtu.be/rQKMLmXc0xo


	2. Seven Minutes in Heaven (Space)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Space core takes you see a meteor shower (platonic).

### 

Seven Minutes in Heaven (Space)

For a moment, you’re not sure what happened. You were walking back to your relaxation chamber, rounded the corner and then...you were on the catwalk floor. Someone...you ran into someone, or they into you...you’re pretty sure. 

“Sorry! So sorry!” a frantic voice says. “Are you hurt?” 

“N-no, I don’t think so…” you groan, and look up. An employee...no, one of the androids. He’s got tousled blonde hair, and his wide golden eyes look you up and down with concern. His movements are antsy. He appears to be in a hurry. 

“Good! Good. That’d be bad. It’s starting soon,” the android says, and pulls you clumsily to your feet. 

“What’s starting?” you ask. You brush the dust off of your jumpsuit.

“Meteor shower!” 

“There’s going to be a meteor shower? How do you know?” You hadn’t heard anything from the outside in months, you realize with a creeping feeling of anxiety. You never get weather reports down in your chamber. Come to think of it...you didn’t even know it was nighttime. You’re a bit unsettled, but you shake off the feeling. 

The android taps a finger to his temple. 

“Programming.” 

“Are you like, a weather android or something?”

“Space! I love space!” the android says loudly, his excitement palpable. You can’t help but feel a smile tug at the corners of your mouth. “Oh! It’s starting soon. Wanna come?” 

“I can see it?” you ask, a bit confused.

“Yeah! Yeah, wanna come?” Space responds, all but jumping in place.

“I…” you hesitate. Is that even allowed? Where in this place was the sky visible? Space fidgets impatiently while you decide. “I...um...y-yeah, sure, okay!” 

Space flashes you a wide grin, and grabs your wrist, pulling you along the catwalks. You can barely keep up with his ecstatic pace, but somehow you manage. He leads you through a maze of abandoned rooms and back hallways, and stops only for a moment outside of a small crawlspace in the wall. 

“In here!” he says. 

“Wait--in there? The sky’s in there?” you ask, skepticism heavy in your tone. Space nods rapidly, and disappears into the crawlspace. You sigh, and look back over your shoulder. You’ve come this far, and you doubt you could find your way to your room on your own, even if you did turn back...you opt to follow the android. You stoop to your hands and knees, and carefully maneuver yourself through the cramped space. It’s narrow, but after turning a corner, you can see it opens up into another room. 

“Hurry! Hurry!” Space pleads, and appears to help pull you out. 

“What is this place?” you mutter. You straighten and look around. It’s something behind-the-scenes; perhaps a maintenance area. You can’t help but feel like you’ve stumbled upon a well-kept secret. 

“It’s my spot,” Space says, a warm smile on his face as he cranes his neck and points up to the ceiling--or, rather, the absence of. It’s an unused elevator shaft, you realize. Up past the mismatched metal panels that line the walls, you stare straight up at the night sky. The surface must be a hundred feet up, but it’s undoubtedly the real thing. 

You sigh in awe.

“I-I can’t actually remember the last time I saw the sky,” you say a bit sadly. 

“You can come here whenever you want!” Space replies. He bounces with anticipation. “Look! Look, it’s starting!” 

It’s true. You squint, just slightly, and see the faint flicker of light traversing the sky among the stars. 

“Oh my god, you were right,” you mutter, not daring to blink lest you miss a moment of this. 

“Lasts seven minutes.” 

You slowly lower yourself to the floor and lay flat on your back, looking skywards. Space does the same beside you. For a moment, you watch in silence. 

“Wish I could be up there,” Space sighs. He holds up a hand and traces the paths of the passing meteors with his finger. 

“Me too,” you whisper. 

“In space?” 

You chuckle softly. 

“No...I mean outside,” you say. “I used to see the sky every day and night. I guess I took it for granted.”

“Every day and night? All the time!?” Space asks, in complete disbelief. “Wow…” he whispers his last remark. 

“Yeah...wow,” you agree. You probably wouldn’t have bothered to sit and watch a meteor shower before. You always had to be up for school, or work...you just didn’t have the time. But now, seven minutes doesn’t seem like nearly enough. You cherish them. You feel an inner peace you haven’t felt in a very, very long time. “Thank you,” you say. 

Space doesn’t answer, smiling up towards the sky. You suddenly feel a hand reach for yours, and after fumbling for a moment you clasp your fingers together. 

“Let’s go there someday,” Space says. “Let’s go together! We’ll bring all the humans and all the androids.”

You smile and squeeze his hand, gazing up at the meteors as they began to dwindle in the heavens. 

“I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Space's song: "Heaven is a Place on Earth": https://youtu.be/05V4CgSL0lw


	3. A Whirlwind Office Romance (Fact)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're a new employee at Aperture Science. Fact helps you with your onboarding paperwork.

### 

A Whirlwind Office Romance (Fact)

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

You listen to the rhythmic sound of the second hand on the clock. The harder you think about the task in front of you, the louder it seems to grow in the empty office. 

“Hmm…” you sigh in frustration, tapping the non-ink end of your pen absentmindedly against your cheek. You look up from the desk when you hear footsteps approach the doorway, welcoming the distraction. 

“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?” It’s an android you’ve seen once before; his deep maroon hair is neatly combed, parted in the center. Mostly, you remember his distinct rose-colored eyes. You’d never seen eyes like that, and you couldn’t help but stare in captivation. He’d narrowed his eyes in return, judgemental of your unbroken gaze. That was yesterday, during your tour of the facility. 

“Oh, no...no, it’s fine,” you say. “I mean, you can…” 

“Yes, I’m a personality construct,” he says, pursing his lips into a pout. “You’re new, aren’t you? Go ahead, get it out of your system.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend or anything. I’ve heard so much about them, but it’s nothing compared to the real thing...er, person? I’ve never seen such advanced technology. I’m a little starstruck,” you say, rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly. 

“Yes, I _am_ impressive,” he says with a flamboyant gesture. “But after the first hundred or so new hires, the gawking becomes...tiring.” He walks into the room, letting the heavy door slide shut behind him. 

“I guess it would,” you admit. 

“You can call me Fact.” The android points matter-of-factly to his nametag. “And you are?” 

“I’m (y/n).” 

“(Y/n). Nice to meet you. What are you doing in here, anyway?”

“Oh. I’m supposed to complete this onboarding form, but I’m having trouble with some of these sections...they told me to find any quiet place to do it,” you say, resting your chin on your hand. Fact marches over and snatches the form from the desk in front of you. He inspects it closely. 

“Let’s see here...well, here’s your problem. These forms are completely outdated. I’ll just…” he says, reaching out his hand and gesturing for the pen. You oblige. 

“Shouldn’t I be the one to fill it out…?” you ask. 

“Hey, who has the seniority here?” Fact waves his hand dismissively. He crosses out an entire section with the pen. “Social security number’...that’s not necessary...and this isn’t even relevant anymore...and this--” he mutters, shaking his head and scribbling here and there. 

“Um...I’m no expert, as we’ve established, but are you sure you know what you’re doing?” you ask coyly. 

“Of course I do,” Fact scoffs.

“You put today’s date in the ‘signature’ field,” you point out. 

“That’s ridiculous, I--” Fact begins, but he stops abruptly and frowns intently at the form. He flips back and forth between pages, mouthing words as he skims over the instructions. The sound of rustling paper breaks the silence, echoing in the empty room. His face seems to pale. 

“I...m-maybe you did need to fill out these sections, after all…” Fact mumbles sheepishly. He runs a hand through his hair, staring defeatedly at the form. He crumples the entire thing in frustration. “We’ll just have to get you a new one...stop looking at me like that!”

His brow furrows when he notices your playful smirk, and he pouts. It’s endearing, in a way. 

“I think there’s some blank forms in here,” Fact sighs. He slides open a filing cabinet drawer, using a finger to sort through the folders. “Here--” he remarks, but when he pulls it out, he snags another stack in the process. Papers go flying, fluttering to the carpet below as Fact stoops to grab them. Instinctively, you spring from your seat to help. 

“Don’t worry about it, (y/n), it was my fault,” Fact says, but you’re already on your hands and knees. 

“No, really, I don’t mind,” you say, throwing the papers into a stack. You can sort them later. You reach for another. Fact must have seen it too, because your hand slides over his--the texture of his skin is soft, and surprisingly humanlike. You both freeze, for just a moment, and lock eyes. Fact’s face flushes. Yet, you linger.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

He suddenly withdraws his hand.

“I-I’ll make some coffee,” he says softly, clearly flustered. He stands and approaches the coffee maker on the counter while you place the last of the papers in the stack. The folder of blank forms is on the desk, so you slide one out before putting everything back in the filing cabinet. You sit and start filling in the easy fields--printing your name, the date, your home address. The coffee maker starts up, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the room. 

“I love the smell of coffee,” Fact remarks. 

“I didn’t know you could detect smells,” you reply with a smile, ever in awe of Aperture’s technology. He nods. 

“It’s a shame, considering I can’t drink it.” 

You thought something about his actions seemed odd. You look up and he avoids your questioning gaze.

“Right, you can’t eat or drink anything. Then, why…?” 

“I figured you could use some,” Fact says, pressing a lid onto the cheap, disposable foam cup. Your fingers brush once more as he hands it to you. 

“Thanks,” you say. You carefully remove the lid and blow on the hot, steaming liquid before taking a cautious sip. You make a small, choked noise as you try to keep from coughing. Fact makes a terrible cup of coffee. “It’s good,” you lie, giving him a smile. 

“You made a face,” he observes. 

“Alright, I did. But it’s the thought that counts. And I think this was very sweet of you.” 

“Unlike the coffee?” 

You snort with laughter. 

“He’s funny, too. I’m thoroughly impressed,” you say. “I’m looking forward to...working with you.” 

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship--working! A working relationship.” Fact says, stumbling halfway through his words. 

“Maybe you could make me coffee again sometime,” you say in a sly tone. A look of confusion crosses Fact’s face.

“But the coffee was terrible,” he counters, apparently oblivious. 

“Sure, but...it’s not the coffee I’m interested in,” you confess, a smirk tugging at your lips. Fact’s cheeks flush a light pink again, and he fails to suppress a giddy smile--he looks like he’s trying to play it cool, and the adorable facade tugs at your heartstrings even more. 

“You know, this sort of...fraternization is strictly discouraged. Which you’d know if you’d filled out section 15-B,” he says with a smug, teasing tone. You flip through the pages of the form, and eventually land on section 15-B. With an exaggerated gesture, you cross it out with your pen. 

“It’s not relevant anymore,” you say, locking eyes with the flustered android. 

“It’s completely outdated,” Fact agrees, biting his lip as he looks over your shoulder. He’s barely holding together his sophisticated act. You can hardly wait to see him crack. You turn in your seat, entwine your fingers in his necktie, and gently pull him closer. “So...I guess I’ll...bring you another coffee tomorrow…?” he continues, blushing madly. You notice his eyes glance down to your lips for the briefest moment.

“Or we could just...skip the coffee and I could kiss you now?” you say. 

“Y-yes please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fact's song - "Can't Fight the Moonlight": https://youtu.be/TRwrbCDNWSw


End file.
